On the back of news over the past few days that the nation's most populous state, NSW, will be open for tourism from June 1, the $45 billion Australian tourism industry got a taste of what it can expect when borders open nationwide as phones began ringing again and bookings finally kick in.
"We are gearing up for an incredible local tourism boom," says Tourism Australia boss Philippa Harrison. "And it's so important that this happens sooner rather than later, given the industry is made up of thousands of small operators, is a huge employer, and makes a significant contribution to the nation's GDP."
Fiona CarruthersTravel editorFiona Carruthers has written and edited travel for the Financial Review for almost a decade. She has held senior roles with ABC Radio National, Deutsche Welle Radio, TIME and The Australian, and was deputy editor of Traveller. Email Fiona at fcarruthers@afr.com
